HOW TO COUNTER STEER A MOTORCYCLE!

[skydoc_17]

Now that the riding season is coming to an end for many of us in the North East, (except for those hard core, crazy canuks!) I hope to spend the winter months this year talking about things that many riders already know, but some may not. I fully realize that I will NEVER have the panache that Cowpuc had, (but I also will never have the beak that man had) I will do my best to impart the wisdom I have gained from over 50 years of riding in the dirt and on the street. I also must give credit to an article I read in of all places a woman's motorcycle  enthusiast forum called MOTORESS. Here is a link to the actual article which goes into great depth about the physics of counter steering a motorcycle. I have also attached a pic of the actual movements to counter steer a motorcycle from another article. Here is the link: https://www.motoress.com/ride/rider/push-steering-a-motorcycle/

Now that I have given credit to MOTORESS and insulted the once Patriarch  of our forum, let's move on to the "meat and potatoes" of my topic! 

Because I started riding dirt bikes at a fairly early age, I learned about counter steering on the dirt track. I learned very early on that if you rode your dirt bike like you were on the street, you would never be able to make the tight turns that you need to ride on the track. It just can't be done. I practiced "Push Left to go Left" and "Push Right to go Right" for hours on end until it was muscle memory to me. When I became old enough to ride on the street, (which was 15 years and 8 months old in my state) I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this same element that worked on the track also works on the pavement as well. At this time I would like to mention that this technique only works on two wheeled vehicles. It WILL NOT work on a trike, a bike with a side car or a Can Am Spider or a Slingshot. Two wheeled motorcycles, (and bicycles oddly enough) are the only vehicles that can be counter steered.

To cut to the chase, so to speak, and skip all of the techno babble about why it works, counter steering basically  interrupts the gyroscopic inertia that makes your bike want to "stand up" even in a turn because of the spinning front wheel, like a gyroscope. My suggestion is to take your bike to a deserted parking lot and practice the push right to go right, push left to go left technique. You can start out at a relatively low speed and try to "swerve"  your bike as if you were dodging a ball that has rolled out into the street. After a day or two of this practice, and once you have FELT the reaction of your bike when you use this technique, find  a sweeper right or left turn road in the 35mph to 45mph range and apply the push right to go right, push left to go left technique. (I personally find it harder to do a left turn than a right turn for some reason, but that's just me! So I started with the right turn first, Just an FYI here) The object is to set up the speed of your bike and the attack angle in advance of the turn just like you would if you were going to use the "Leaning Method" of turning, but instead use the "Push Method". By the way, many riders refer to Counter Steering as "Push Steering". In the "Old Days" we called it Counter Steering. You can call it anything you like. I would also like to mention that this technique takes some time to acquire. You will need to Teach yourself to Push the handle bars to make a turn instead of Pulling on the handle bars to make a turn. It takes some practice. One of the benefits of counter steering through a turn is it reduces  the chances of the rear tire loosing it's grip on the pavement, and wiping out the bike and rider. Not to mention your turns will come much easier with a reduced amount of effort, and it reduces your reaction time in case you need to swerve right then left to avoid multiple obstacles!

As with ALL things NEW, there will be an element of FEAR involved! This is natural. (And some of us thrive on the fear!) If you are the kind of rider that does not like to get out of their comfort zone while riding, then I highly suggest that you start out in the parking lot environment for an extended period of time until you feel comfortable with the Push Steering method. There is no set time for you to master this advanced riding skill. The rewards you will gain from having this valuable riding skill will serve you well, and may just save your life in the future! 

As always, questions and comments are welcome, if you have used the Counter Steering technique to avoid some trouble while riding in the past, please feel free to share your experience. If you would rather ask me a question about this topic in private, please feel free to PM me.

And finally, Puckster, I hope I did you proud buddy, we all miss you a bunch! (And YOU know what they say about a guy with a BIG nose!) This pic is the proper Counter Steering Method. 

Earl 

[Pasta Burner]

Great write up Earl!  I do have one question though and this isn’t me trying to be an ass…don’t you NEED to counter steer to navigate a roadway?  I never touched or thought about a motorcycle before taking the MSF course 20some years ago in our native Pennsylvania when a friend asked me to go along.  (I bought a bike a few weeks later, he has yet to embrace) I guess my point is how can you ride without counter steering?  

[luvmy40]

One guy's thoughts on this subject:

You don't need to actively think about counter steering to ride under normal circumstances. It's just a natural function of steering a two wheeler at speed. In fact, if you try to NOT counter steer at any speed over, say 10(maybe 15)MPH you'll wind up droping the bike or running head on into the obstacle you may be trying to avoid.

Grokking the physics of counter steering becomes critical in the OH $#*%! instances where the natural reaction is to turn away from danger when you actualy need to "turn toward" the danger by agressively counter steering.

Edited October 11, 2021 by luvmy40

[Marcarl]

The way I found this out and how nicely it works is to travel down the road using the right hand track. Nice to do this with no traffic. As you travel, sit straight up in the seat, don't move one way or the other, then lightly push on the left handle bar, just lightly and only for less than a second. See what happens. Just use your fingers, not the full hand.

[larrydr]

Just now, Marcarl said:

The way I found this out and how nicely it works is to travel down the road using the right hand track. Nice to do this with no traffic. As you travel, sit straight up in the seat, don't move one way or the other, then lightly push on the left handle bar, just lightly and only for less than a second. See what happens. Just use your fingers, not the full hand.

@Marcarl ..I did try that , and it does work .   I have found that it may change on depending on the kind of bike you are riding ....My problem is that change bikes too often , but now that I have lost the interest in roaring down the road I want find the right bike for myself to stay on .

Edited October 12, 2021 by larrydr

[Pasta Burner]

Slow Look Press Roll was drilled into me when I learned to ride.  Press being the counter steering step.

[Pro procrastinator]

10 hours ago, Pasta Burner said:

Slow Look Press Roll was drilled into me when I learned to ride.  Press being the counter steering step.

And be aware of cross winds!  Really counter steering is something you need to practice until you do it without thinking otherwise in those oh chr@p moments you will do the wrong thing. Nothing is more depressing then being laid up and looking at an unfixable bike. 

[Pasta Burner]

On 10/12/2021 at 8:41 AM, Pro procrastinator said:

And be aware of cross winds!  Really counter steering is something you need to practice until you do it without thinking otherwise in those oh chr@p moments you will do the wrong thing. Nothing is more depressing then being laid up and looking at an unfixable bike. 

Oh man crosswind!  I went on a ride the other weekend with some friends and what a workout that was!  I joked the right side of my tires are going to wear out faster than the rest.  There was the steady crosswind but the subconscious countersteering is invaluable when the gusts come along.  I couldn’t get above 60mph because any faster my helmet was lifting off my head only held on by the chinstrap.  Not to mention the neck pain.

[Flyinfool]

To see what counter steering does, go to a parking lot, splash some water on the ground and ride thru it at slow speed. As soon as both tires are back on dry pavement, TRY to make a left turn WITHOUT counter steering. I bet your wet tire tracks will still show that your front wheel kicked right before you went left. This effect is easiest to see on a bicycle with skinnier tires. Bicycles follow the same laws of physics that motorcycles do.

Where people get in trouble and why you need to practice the technique is because in an emergency You stop relying on reflexes and start trying to THINK. as soon as you think you will move the handle bars right to go right and end up going left right into what you are trying to avoid. That is why you need to understand and practice counter steering (even though you are already doing it) so that both your conscious mind and reflexes are on the same page.

[larrydr]

It is always good to check to check your rear swing arm alignment ...After a swing arm extension  on my XV1100 .  Adding a  010 of inch shim at the pivot ,  there was 1/8 inch at 20 inches  difference which does affect handling .